The Forced and Unwanted Helper
by lylyevans
Summary: AU. No zombies. Rick/Beth pairing. When Beth Greene agreed to help Lori Grimes in babysitting her youngest daughter Judith she was ready to hate her ex-husband Rick Grimes. She expected him to be rude and unhelpful, but what she found was a caring father and wonderful man.


**Author's Note:** Howdy. I haven't posted a fanfic in such a long while but i thought I would give it a try since I have been so in love with Brick lately. So, this story is set in an AU world (Because AU brick is somehow better than zombie brick I think... Don't judge me) where Beth is nineteen years old and Rick is 35.

This chapter is quite weak, it's more of a set up, introduce the characters at play, their relationships and a tease of the plot. Lori is going to play a big part in the first few chapters.

Leave me comments and love?

ALSO I DON'T HAVE A BETA! English is not my first language and it's been a while since I wrote fiction like this (more used to RP style) so someone who could help me flesh out and make my english better should come forward... now! Ok. You guys have heard enough of me, I know all you want to do is get to the story, so without further ado:

**The forced and unwanted helper**

* * *

><p>Beth Greene was eighteen when she first met Rick Grimes.<p>

Her dad had been raging about the deputy he had met during one of his appointments for weeks. Hershel Greene was a respected veterinarian and wanted all over King's County for his expertise - during one of his latest appointments in one of the stables in town a robbery happened and her father swore that if it hadn't been for the young deputy who intervened and was able to calm down the shooter, he wouldn't he here today.

So when Deputy Grimes finally agreed to come over for dinner the whole family was excited to finally meet their dad's great hero.

Hershel had two daughters and a step-son ( though Hershel never used that term, in fact he loathed it, he considered Shawn his own). Shawn was the oldest, shaggy brown hair and soft brown eyes he had been a heart breaker during his time in high school, when he graduated with honors he received a scholarship for a college in Athens, Georgia where he was taking the required courses to later become a veterinarian like his stepfather. Maggie Greene with her magnetic blue eyes had been the problematic child of the family, she didn't accept her dad's new wife at first, especially since Annette was a lot younger than her father was, though as the years passed she slowly adjusted to Annette and came to love her and Shawn, she is currently living in an apartment with her boyfriend Glenn Rhee much to her father's displeasure, who thought his daughter was living in sin and should move back home or marry that asian kid already.

Last but certainly not least came Beth Greene, with the typical all american girl look, blonde locks and big blue eyes, she was babied by her whole family, and though she sometimes grumbles at their behavior she loves her family more than anything. So she was particularly excited to meet the person who saved her father from certain death (Hershel's words, not hers).  
>Dressed in a soft green dress and black flats the eighteen year old politely greeted the Grimes family in her front yard, apparently his wife hadn't been able to come due to a fever, but urged her son and husband to go out and have fun. That night was filled with much laughter and joy, Beth mostly talked to Carl, enjoying his undivided attention and knowledge of comics (she was a bit of an avid reader herself). Rick was as charming as her father had described, his southern manners were impeccable as he introduced himself and dined with them that evening, his bright blue eyes shining as he re-told the story putting her father in a very different light where without Hershel's help he wouldn't have escaped. At the time she had thought Rick Grimes was handsome and sweet and harbored a little crush on him through out the night that was quickly forgotten the next day.<p>

After that night the Grimes family became a welcomed guest in the Greene farm, most of the only Rick and Carl came, his wife Lori came by a few times, as had Shane, Rick's best friend. She quite liked Lori, she was sweet and when she was going through some tough times it had been easier to talk to the brunette than it had been to talk to someone else in her family. But out of nowhere they stopped coming, and Beth would only learn why a few months later when she ran into Carl when she was helping out in the local middle school where he as enrolled in.

* * *

><p>"Mom and Dad split up a few months ago." The boy explained looking down playing with his feet.<br>"I am so sorry to hear that Carl. I had no idea." Laying a hand on his shoulder she changed the subject to the latest Avengers comic and so on to cheer up the boy who clearly didn't want to talk about his family's troubles. Later that day she drove by the Grimes family's house with a batch of fresh baked cookies. Knocking on the door she was met by Lori holding a baby. " Either that baby is Rick's or Miss Lori moved way too fast." Beth thought as she was ushered into the house.  
>"I am glad to see you Beth, it's been a while." Beth always thought Lori was one of the most gorgeous's ladies in the county but right now she seemed like she hadn't eaten in days, her eyes no longer shined and her hair was in a very messy bun on top of her head. Setting down the plate of cookies in one of the tables of the house she walked back to Lori.<br>"Want me to take her? I am a very sought after nanny in my church." she said moving closer. Lori's eyes shined with relief as she passed over her child to the blonde who happily took the child in her arms, murmuring sweet lullabies to the child, as the brunette sat down on the couch sighing.  
>"Thank you. I don't have a nanny yet that I can trust. And Judith cried all night."<br>"Oh your name is Judith? That's a gorgeous name." Beth cooed at the baby moving so she was facing Lori. "Do you want me to help? I am taking a gap year before college to figure some things out and the extra money couldn't hurt." To be honest most of her life Beth had planned on being a stay at home mom, and when she was sixteen she foolishly thought she had met the love of her life, Jimmy. But months later she learned he really wan't that into her and had only been hooking up with her because she was pretty and left her just before graduation. After that she began re-thinking some of her choices and decided that maybe going to college wouldn't be so bad, study music and writing. Her father had agreed to letting her stay at home only if she got a job. "I can give you references and everything!" It would be nice to help Lori out, after all she did for her last year when she was at her lowest.  
>"That is very sweet of you. But you see, the situation isn't very easy..." Lori's voice trailed out clearly lost in her own thoughts. "Why did you come here anyway?" she later asked.<br>"I saw Carl today and he told me you and Mr Grimes had separated, and I wanted to drop by to see how you were. And I brought homemade cookies for you, though if I knew you had this little doll here I would have brought something else also." She said bouncing the little girl on her lap, she adored children, always wanted to be a mother, so being a nanny was always a lot of fun. "And I am a Greene, we are made of _tough stuff._" she said in her best imitation of her father which brought a smile to Lori's tired features. "And I hope you can trust me."

"I trust you sweetheart, it's just the separating has made things hard. So you wouldn't just be a nanny here, you would also be one at Rick's place." She had always thought the Grimes were the perfect couple, beautiful, doting, active members of the community and with an amazing son, it still shocked her to hear they weren't together anymore and though every cell in her body asked her to bombard Lori with questions she simply nodded and grinned.

"That is no problem Misses Grimes. I mean..." Beth trailed off awkwardly.

"You can all me Lori dear." She said kindly. "Our divorce was not amicable, Rick was horrible during the last years of our marriage and he made me suffer greatly during the divorce, sure he made it seem like everything was perfect but when we were at home it was nothing but shouting, and it's been hard on Carl and than I learned I was pregnant... She spends the weekends at Rick's, well this will be the first weekend she will spend with him." It's worth noting today was a Wednesday. "And I am so nervous about it... Though if I had someone there..." Lori retreated to herself as she thought of her plan, leaving Beth confused as to whether she had gotten the job or not.

"All right, I trust you. And you are hired. and if it's not too much to ask I want you to baby sit when she is at Rick's house also, he won't like it at first but I will tell him it's to make sure he spends time with Carl. It will mean so much to me if I know she is with someone I can trust."

Beth nodded eagerly holding the baby closer to herself. "I will do it Misses.. I mean Lori. I would love to help you, and this little angel right here."

It seems like the man who had walked into her front yard almost a year ago was an image she had created.

* * *

><p>Don't forget to leave a review or a comment or just follow the story so I know I am not speaking to the air! Well writing but you got my point!<p>

I made Lori trash Rick a bit (which will continue on the next chapter slightly as Beth learns the ropes of handling Judith) because I want her to go to Rick's house ready to hate him! And than she will learn what an amazing man our dear Rick is!

btw my tumblr is lylyevans if anyone wants to speak to me AND PLEASE SPEAK TO ME! I LOVE SPEAKING TO PEOPLE!


End file.
